Imagine if a Miranda Class ship and a refit Constitution class ship, meet in open space, for battle. Both ships have federation captains with tactical and strategic skills and experience equaling that of Kirk, and both have seasoned crews of equal caliber. Neither captain or crew have the codes to the other ship

No Nebulas to cause interference, no planets or moons to hide behind, and no black holes or quasars or phenomena to get in the way. Just open, dark space. Both ships have a full compliment of torpedos and phaser banks are fully charges. Both ships are at their peak of technological capability during the same year as TWOK.

Now imagine that there is a Q behind this match up, and this Q wants to know who wins and who loses. The Q will ensure neither ship will stray into space that is any different than open, unoccupied space. The battle will go on until there is a winner and there can be only one victor. Both must stand toe to toe, and retreat is not an option. One ship must destroy the other, or the Q will destroy both ships, and each ship knows this.